Hinge apparatus and electronic device comprising it

Abstract

An electronic device that includes a hinge apparatus and the hinge apparatus are described. The hinge apparatus includes n shafts, arranged side by side, wherein n is an integer equal to or greater than 3; and multiple connecting elements for rotatably connecting each two adjacent shafts so as to form a shaft chain. The hinge apparatus can achieve a flexible shaft effect and can place the two portions connected by it in the same plane.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A hinge apparatus, comprising:
 n shafts, arranged side by side, wherein n is an integer equal to or greater than 3 and each shaft includes a projection; 
 multiple connecting elements for rotatably connecting each two adjacent shafts so as to form a shaft chain, 
 wherein each connecting element comprises a baffler and at least two shaft holes each shaft hole receiving one of the two adjacent shafts, 
 wherein at least some of the shafts have an end received by more than one connecting element, 
 wherein each projection and each respective baffler cooperate to limit a maximum rotation angle of each shaft with respect to each respective connecting element to a predetermined angle of 180/(n−1) degrees. 
 
     
     
       2. The hinge apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising two or more shaft chains and the hinge apparatus further comprises at least one synchronization bridge extending parallel to the shafts and connecting the shafts which are in adjacent shaft chains respectively, so as to synchronize the rotation of the shafts in the adjacent shaft chains. 
     
     
       3. The hinge apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a fixed connecting element provided on two outermost shafts of the shaft chain to fixedly connect to external parts to be connected by the hinge. 
     
     
       4. The hinge apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a soft covering material to cover the shaft chain. 
     
     
       5. An electronic device, comprising a first body, a second body, and a hinge apparatus connecting the first body and the second body, the hinge apparatus comprising:
 n shafts, arranged side by side, wherein n is an integer equal to or greater than 3 and each shaft includes a projection; 
 multiple connecting elements for rotatably connecting each two adjacent shafts so as to form a shaft chain, 
 wherein each connecting element comprises a baffler and at least two shaft holes each shaft hole receiving one of the two adjacent shafts, 
 wherein at least some of the shafts have an end received by more than one connecting element, 
 wherein each projection and each respective baffler cooperate to limit a maximum rotation angle of each shaft with respect to each respective connecting element to a predetermined angle of 180/(n−1) degrees. 
 
     
     
       6. The electronic device according to  claim 5 , wherein the hinge apparatus further comprises a fixed connecting element provided on two outermost shafts of the shaft chain to fixedly connect to the first body and the second body respectively. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device according to  claim 6 , wherein the hinge apparatus further comprises a soft covering material to cover the shaft chain and the fixed connecting element between the shaft chain and the first body or the second body, so as to form a seamless connection between the first body and the second body. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device according to  claim 5 , wherein the first body and the second body rotate 360 degrees with respect to each other through the hinge apparatus. 
     
     
       9. The electronic device according to  claim 5 , wherein a rotation angle of each shaft with respect to each respective connecting element is different.